Darts star shrugs off Luke Littler defeat by winning big in poker tournament

Mike De Decker threw distant a commanding 8-4 pb against Luke Littler astatine the Grand Slam of Darts, but returned to Belgium connected the play wherever helium won large astatine the poker table

Mike De Decker enactment his disappointment down him aft losing to Luke Littler astatine the Grand Slam of Darts - by winning a poker tournament.

De Decker was beaten 10-9 by Littler successful the last-16 of the tourney connected Thursday, contempt having led 8-4 and 9-7 successful Wolverhampton. The World Grand Prix champion was irritated by the crowd’s behaviour, with the location enactment for Littler crossing the enactment into disrespect for his opponent.

The Belgian was whistled each clip helium deed a treble to cheque retired and asked the referee to intervene to guarantee a level playing field. He felt helium didn’t get the enactment helium needed and was furious aft slipping to defeat, blasting: "Why is helium determination then? He's the referee!"

De Decker missed a lucifer dart astatine the bull for a 170 and past saw eventual champion Littler nutrient back-to-back 12-darters to clinch it a spot successful the quarter-finals. Departing astatine the last-16 signifier earned De Decker £12,250 successful prize wealth – and helium rapidly re-invested it astatine the poker table.

The 28-year-old entered the Big Bounty Hillroller Final, a tourney enactment connected by Pokah Nights successful Antwerp connected Sunday. And, remarkably, helium came retired connected apical from a tract of 147 entrants to instrumentality location a prize cookware of €32,340 (£27,000) – treble what helium managed astatine the Grand Slam of Darts.

The triumph completed a lucrative fewer days of enactment for De Decker, who is ranked No.24 successful the world by the PDC. He has taken location £341,000 successful prize wealth implicit the past year, acknowledgment successful ample portion to the £120,000 cheque helium banked by beating satellite No.1 Luke Humphries successful Leicester successful October to assertion his maiden World Grand Prix title.

He overcame Humphries 6-4 that nighttime and was delighted with his performance. "I'm truthful proud," said De Decker. "It feels amazing. I'm implicit the moon.

"I've been truly blessed with my show each week, but this tops it off. Luke has been a phenomenal champion for the past twelvemonth and he's specified a bully person.

"The mode Luke has been playing since past twelvemonth is conscionable superb and being the idiosyncratic that beats him this weekend, successful a final, picking up this trophy. I'm truthful happy! I was chill successful patches. In the opening I was truly nervous, past I calmed down and went 4-1 up. When helium came backmost to 4-4 I started to get tense again but I did it."